Peter Trego might be remembered as one of the best players of his era not to represent England. An allrounder capable of destroying bowling on his day and a canny seamer who more than compensates in skill what he lacks pace, he bounced back from a spell out of the sport - he played semi-professional football instead - to become a firm favourite with Somerset supporters.

Trego followed in a long-tradition of big-hitting all-rounders at Taunton that includes the likes of Wellard, Blackwell and Botham. If his stand-out performance was a 54-ball century he thrashed against Yorkshire in 2009 to help Somerset chase 476 to win at Taunton - Trego called it "the innings of his life" - there have been many other days when success was more due to discipline, commitment and skill. He claimed 50 first-class wickets in 2012, 49 in 2014 and made three first-class centuries during the 2006 season. He also averaged 82.77 in List A cricket with two centuries and five half-centuries in 2013.

Somerset born and bred, Trego first appeared for the club's second XI in 1997 and, having represented England U19 with some success, made his county first team debut in 2000. But while there were good days - in 2002 he made 140 in a tied match against West Indies A - it took some time for him to understand how best to exploit his abundant natural talents and he drifted out of the professional game at the end of 2002 aged only 22. A career that promised much looked as if it might be over before it had begun.

While he tried his luck elsewhere - he made occasional appearances for Kent, Middlesex and Worcestershire second XI - it seemed, for a while, as if cricket might lose him to football. He spent the 2004-05 season playing for Margate as a goalkeeper and also had spells at West-super-Mare, Clevedon Town and Chippenham Town. Twice he scored goals from his own half when taking free-kicks.

Returning to Somerset at the start of 2006, Trego started to fulfil his promise. He thumped 135 against Derbyshire - one of three centuries that season - and a year later was judged the leading all-rounder in county cricket after 836 runs at 52.25 and 33 wickets at 34.27. He represented England in the Hong Kong Sixes in 2009, thrashed 147 from just 89 balls against Glamorgan in 2010 and was the PCA's most valuable player of the 2012 season. He could consider himself unfortunate not to force himself into the England ODI team after his 2013 season.

But if England were not interested, a host of domestic teams were. Trego has spent winters in New Zealand, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and performed with distinction each time.

"I was signed by Somerset when I was 15 and straight out of school," Trego told ESPNcricinfo in 2012. "They give you your kit and your bats and you feel fantastic.

"But that was all taken away from me when I was 23. After that I had to scrap for a job and it made me realise how much the game meant to me. Once you have had to fight to get something back, you are much less likely to let it slip away again and I think the whole experience made me a better cricketer and a better person."
George Dobell